Not of this world
by Wolfone10
Summary: When things go terribly wrong, our heroes face a terrible loss, which leads to them facing a lot of buried truths and a walk on the edge of sanity. Not great at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: your not supposed to know what the heck is going on in the first few paragraphs. So if you think they suck, I will be returning to them eventually. This is my first time doing a real story and I am a little nervous, but I thought I'd give it a shot, it's in the time of U.A. obviously.. I'll only upload chapter one right now, if it's not hated, then maybe I'll continue... anyway On with the show:

"You say that like you actually think you can enforce it" Ben chuckled darkly.

Ben was standing in front of his parents, Gwen's parents and grandpa Max (who was sitting in a chair rubbing the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed).

Ben was staring at them with the full force of his "hero of heroes" personality radiating from his eyes. Gwen slightly worried gripped his hand tightly. He was in "hero mode" and she wouldn't, couldn't say anything against him, she never could... This was going to be resolved one way or another right now, she knew... "how did all this come to a head ?" she wondered...

FLASHBACK:

Ben, Gwen and Kevin were fighting the Forever Knights in one of their castles, and were of course, clobbering the hell outta them. At the end of the fight, just as Ben was about to clobber the one named "old george"... he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a modified fusion grenade, setting it and throwing it before Ben could react.. he tossed it not at ben, but toward his team... "NOOOOOOOOO" thought ben.. and punched straight thru his head... turning toward his team to protect them, he watched the events transpire as if in slow motion.. the bomb arched, landing beside his two teammates...Gwen used her mana to push Kevin away.. and the bomb went off... Ben was thrown into darkness.

"ben wake up!" ... "BEN, DAMN IT WAKE UP!" Ben opened his eyes to see Kevin standing over him shaking him, "good your ok, help me find Gwen"... Kevin said... "GWEN!" Ben thought immediately sitting up and surveying the scene... Kevin Had a few places on his body that his armor had broken, the roof had caved in and a huge pile of debris was sitting in front of him, He himself had ripped and burned clothing, he felt burned and bruised all over *something that NEVER happened* ... and he noticed that Gwen was no where to be seen... He also had a empty feeling deep in his gut...A sense of PROFOUND loss... Like he was hollow... "no...PLEASE NO... PLEASE".. was all he could think as Kevin launched himself at the debris pile. "Gwen! Can you hear me? I am getting you out of there.. Gwen!" kevin was shouting... as he tore into the debris pile, "BEN! Help me, she's under here" Kevin screamed and continued to tear through the debris... Finally reaching her, he let out a sob... her skin was blackened her hair burned almost completely to nothing.. She wasn't breathing... "BEN GET OVER HERE"... Kevin screamed as he held Gwen and tried shaking her...

"BEN, what are you waitin..." Kevin screamed again until he looked back at Ben... he was chalk white, his normally bright green eyes seemed almost black, like someone had turned off the light behind them, trails of tears streamed down his face, a line of snot from his nose and he was shaking so bad Kevin thought he was having a seizure.. It took him only a second to realize that the shaking was caused by every time he breathed in... He was broken, "no" was the only thing Kevin thought... "GWEN WAKE UP! You survived worse than this! Wake up" he yelled at her as tears began to flow down his face... "Gwen come back" he laid her down on the floor and began cry.

Ben was cold, empty, dead inside... He failed... He didn't protect his team... He didn't protect HER... AGAIN... all of a sudden his thoughts shifted to the time he had searched out Azmuth... When he thought he lost her once... .But this time there was a body in front of him, there would be no miracle saves.. His brain felt broken... He couldn't think properly... EMPTYNESS stretching to infinity.. He didn't want to go on, more then anyone else on the team she was his battery, his savior, when he felt that he had no recourse, she would call him stupid and tell him what to do, she had taught him to fight in human form, she had poked and proded him till he SAVED Kevin instead of butchering him... All these thoughts and more were swarming in his mind as he watched Kevin trying to save her... But he KNEW, he didn't know how but he KNEW she was gone... lost to the void... He wanted to join her... He wanted a miracle... With that thought something sprang to mind... He slowly stood.. Feeling his left ankle was broken.. he snarled but walked forward anyway..

"Kevin, she's gone... for now"... Ben said, but his voice sounded so hollow, Kevin was expecting to see one of his aliens... Kevin was continuing to do cry... "WHAT YOU JUST NOW THINK TO ACT?" Kevin yelled at him then looked at him, Ben was... well not Ben.. the sense of loss, the look in his eye... it was like when he went hero, but like he wasn't looking at the scene... instead something very far away... Kevin hurt more then anytime in his entire life, but looking at Ben?.. He knew he lost both his girl and his best friend at the same time... Ben was dead... Ben reached out to Kevin's and Gwen's neck and at the same time and tore the keys they wore there off of them...He slammed the ultimatrix and plugged both keys in, unlocking alien X... "Goodbye Kevin... Please take care of Gwen, don't hurt her, and be a great plumber"... Ben said with a far off look as he stared at Kevin. Kevin's eyes widened but he was still crying... "you mean your gonna do..." before he could finish Ben said... "make sure she doesn't grieve too much... but... I can't do this without her!" and he slammed down his hand on the ultimatrix transforming him into alien X.


	2. Chapter 2

In the darkness that was alien X's mind ben found himself floating... "why ben you have returned to us." said an obvious female voice. "Yes, you have decided to return because you want something correct?" said an obvious male voice which had hostility to it..

"I need something from you, more then anything else in the entire universe I need to know if it is within your power"... Ben shouted at them his emotions clearly visible on his face.

"Oh really?" said the male voice... clearly amused with the situation..."what makes you think we would be inclined to grant you any request? You did abandon us," said the male voice... "PLEASE return Gwen to life, heal her!" was what ben screamed at the top of his lungs..."I am BEGGING you" he added with his head hung low.

"Oh your heart is broken! This creature means that much to you?" said the female voice... "So?" said the male voice... "what do we care for the thoughts of his pathetic race?"... "he is broken, he will be no help to us in this state, we might as well recruit a corpse"... the male voice grumbled and then said "she is THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?"... "yes"... it was a simple answer but one that had a lot of hidden feelings behind it...

"What are you willing to offer us in return for restoring her to life and health?" asked the male voice... "You have been a horrible arbiture between our arguments.. and I would have a promise before we do anything for you again!"

"don't you think you are being a little harsh to him?" said the female voice... "he does have to protect his universe"...

"No I do not" said the male voice... Ben thought quickly... "If I will spend 1 day out of every month for the rest of my life, completely devoted to resolving your issues... will you grant my request?".

"YES" said the female voice... with joy... "NO" said the male "that's not good enough"..."I swear I will" said ben... "then what do you want?"... he asked of the male voice... "You will stay here for all time! You will resolve each and every one of our conflicts"... Ben stopped... thinking about it... thinking of everything..

"I'm sorry everyone, I can't... I never could... I couldn't even protect her, let alone the whole galaxy... I'm no hero even with how hard I try to be... I am just a guy with the ultimate weapon on his wrist... SHE is the powerful one, she pushed me to be better and better... She even pushed me to take off the omnitrix just so I knew what it was like to be human... I hated it and I loved it... I got with Julie because of that.. all thanks to her.. I can't... I CAN NOT" fighting back tears... "if I agree to be your arbitrate for eternity, you'll restore her?".. they both nodded their heads... Ben bowed his head... and said the only thing he could. "I agree"

"NO you don't" said a voice off to his right... Professor paradox was standing there, "honestly you thought an eternity with these two would be a GOOD IDEA?"... "Well I guess I have seen that... but believe me Ben, it's not pleasant."

"I have to paradox... I have to bring gwen back... I don't care what it costs me".. Ben said... "they are not the only ones that can change reality Ben"... paradox answered simply with a smirk...

Suddenly they were not inside alien x's mind but in a place of complete darkness... Just Ben and Paradox "Come to think of it, this is but one of the many situations that resulted in me not being allowed to be around the celestial sapens" laughed Paradox.

"I need her by my side paradox" ben softly said... "yes I know that, I have seen an uncountable amount of universes, many that you two end up as a couple.. but you just offered not only your body, but your freedom ... U offered to be a statue for all eternity while Gwen found happiness with Kevin"... Paradox smirked...

"a couple?... Did paradox just say that?... He didn't think of Gwen that way, did he?... He couldn't do the hero thing without her, he knew that.. She was the closest thing to his heart he'd ever had in his life. He wouldn't let her die... But... A couple?.. As he slowly thought about it, he realized that if anyone one of his team left or died, he would endure... He would be the hero, as always... But with her gone?... It seemed an empty victory, he couldn't do it anymore, or if he did he would make Vilgax look like the Easter bunny. As much as he hated to admit it, he NEEDED her, she brought the balance to him that he needed.

"so what are you saying?...Ben asked... "I am saying that you are willing to give up not only your life but fundamentally what is YOU"..."that is a rare thing"... "I will revive her.. and even restore her... but she will know what you were willing to sacrifice to do so... she will revive because I will take her life force from you!"..."but you will restore her?" ben asked feebly... "yes" he said "but it will cost you! you shall take on half the wounds she has. Remember they did result in ending her life, but your ultimatrix should heal you thru them." ben nodded his head... "then let's begin"... ben screamed... his flesh dried burned completely off...

He felt satisfaction that kevin is safe... he was scared to death where ben was... He/she wanted to protect everyone but couldn't access enough energy... Everything went dark... Then Ben was there and he was holding out his hand... "come with me" was what his eyes said... She grabbed his hand and the world exploded with sensations.

Gwen came back... 


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: I am going to kinda make Kevin a little more understanding, in this chapter mainly because in most of the BWEN stories I have read, they beat him up as a bad guy, I don't think he is and remember he is Ben's best friend now, I hope it doesn't upset too many people, but anyway on to the show:

Kevin saw in a flash that the girl in is arms was was producing a blindly bright light, soon it was like holding a budding star in his arms .He was shaken after what Ben said, before he had transformed into alien x, but didn't put it all together...But looking down at the light in his arms he began to understand, his eyes going wide.

She was glowing so bright it hurt suddenly... a green and white mixture... her hair was growing out from the wreck it had been burned to, her skin starting to return to normal color. Most important to all of it, was the feeling he had holding her so close... he could feel her heart beginning to beat again... She was back!

Ben did it! He was certain of it, looking at the immovable statue of alien x... He traded his life for her... He knew that... It was a lot to take in... he knew those two were incredibly close to one another, extremely protective of one another but... This... was.. he knew that Ben wouldn't die... No, this was much worse, he would be a slave to alien x's voices for eternity and yet he did this...To someone like Ben, Gwen or himself that was a fate worse than death and from what Ben had said before he changed he had willingly walked into Hell to save Gwen..He suddenly had a strong feeling of being dropped from a great height in his gut... "I'm a fool.. How could none of us see this earlier, were we all that blind?" was the thought that entered into his head. "No that can't be I love her, she loves me... right?" His mind was racing over the facts, but one fact shined clear... She was ALIVE! It blew all the others to dust.

"Gwen... wake up, Gwen".. Kevin said speaking softly so as not to alarm her.. "ohhh" was her response before opening her eyes, she hurt all over, her usual spells that kept her from being harmed must have failed or been overwhelmed... she blinked a few times before her vision was restored, what she saw was a smoldering crater she was in and Kevin directly above her, holding her, tears streaking his face. "what happened?" was all she could say.. trying to get into a sitting position but finding the pain to much.. she slumped down.. It wasn't just the pain, she felt an enormous sense of emptiness in her that she couldn't quite put a reason to.

"you don't remember?" came Kevin's response, upon seeing her confusion he began "we attacked the forever knights, their leader Old George used some pretty underhanded tactics.. he threw a fusion grenade at us,..."... at this point he began to get chocked up "you used your mana to push me away but...you...got...caught... in.. the blast.." Kevin finishes looking at her worriedly.

"Kevin if I got caught in the blast I wouldn't be here to have this argument"... Gwen says hotly, using every bit of strength she has to sit up, and realizing she really was pretty banged up... "Did we win?" she asks... "kinda" was his response though it sounded hollow, "kevin what are you not tell..." Gwen started but stopped when she saw alien x standing beside them as though a statue.  
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